PowerPoint presentation: Peter Reed Presentation SSR for VUCA Environments

In his presentation, Peter Reed describes how , for many countries, reform and development of their security sector institutions is a constant iterative process – perhaps, just like a business, to preserve defensive capability and a competitive edge as cost-effectively as possible in the national interest. In post-conflict situations SSR becomes an imperative, and can take on an urgency that may be at odds with the complexity of the challenge and often constrained resources. Peter Reed suggests how the US military-coined ‘VUCA’ (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) acronym and Kotter’s 8 Stages for Leading Major Change can be applied to SSR and broader stabilisation interventions. Peter Reed draws on current examples of the challenges presented by highly complex operating environments in fragile and conflict affected States (with short case studies from Libya and Somalia).

Peter J. Reed is the Director and Head of Security Sector Development for WYG. He is an internationally experienced strategy, organisational development, and security sector development consultant, specialising in high level policy advice, policy and strategy development, strategic planning, organisational and institutional capacity assessment, leadership and senior management development. He has significant experience of the project leadership and direction of high value transformational change programmes in the UK and 40 transitional developing countries, and assessment of systemic, institutional and organisational capacity – particularly in complex, fragile or post-conflict environments. He is currently the Team Leader for the UK’s Libya Security, Justice & Defence Programme and is has been a Special Forces Officer.